Amadeus (1984)
The man... The music... The madness... The murder... The motion picture.
Disciplined Italian composer Antonio Salieri becomes consumed by jealousy and resentment towards the hedonistic and remarkably talented young Salzburger composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 19 September 1984 |
| Genre | Drama, History, Music |
| Director | Miloš Forman |
| Starring | F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce and Elizabeth Berridge |
| Runtime | 160 min |
| Rated | PG |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.9/10 · Metacritic 87/100 · Rotten Tomatoes 90% · IMDb 8.4/10 · TMDB users 8.0/10 |
| Budget | $18 million |
| Box office | $90 million worldwide |
Where to watch Amadeus
We could not find Amadeus on any of the subscription services we track in the US right now. That changes often; open it in Binge Boss and we will show you where it lands.
Rent or buy
You can rent Amadeus on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home and Plex. It is also for sale on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Amadeus in 4 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Japan | U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Mexico | Clarovideo |
| Portugal | Filmin |
| Spain | Filmin €9.99 |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Miloš Forman directs a 160-minute drama where a disciplined Italian composer watches a hedonistic prodigy destroy himself. The film is told entirely from the perspective of the jealous antagonist, framing Mozart’s genius not as a gift but as an insult to the establishment. F. Murray Abraham anchors the performance with a bitterness that makes you complicit in his resentment. It is a masterclass in how to make a biopic feel like a psychological horror story. The music is the weapon, and the silence after it hits is the real punch.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes sits at 90% based on 160 reviews, with an average rating of 9.1/10. Metacritic assigns it 87 out of 100, which it files under universal acclaim. Roger Ebert called it a "magnificent film, full and tender and funny and charming." Peter Travers praised the lead actors for a "dual triumph." Not everyone was sold. Todd McCarthy felt the stage's power was "noticeably diminished" on screen. Music historians still squint at the historical liberties, which is fair, given the subject.
How it did with audiences
The budget was $18 million. The worldwide gross reached $90 million. In the United States, it took in $52 million. That kind of return is less a financial miracle and more a solid, predictable upswing. Audiences seem to agree with the accounting. On IMDb, users give it a weighted average of 8.4/10 as of June 2026.
Awards
The film collected 14 awards from 12 nominations. At the 1985 ceremony, Laurence Olivier opened the Best Picture envelope before reading the nominees, then simply announced the winner. Producer Saul Zaentz accepted the trophy, while F. Murray Abraham took Best Actor and Miloš Forman took Best Director. The ceremony went smoothly, mostly.
What came next for the cast
F. Murray Abraham moved from Scarface to The Name of the Rose, then The Grand Budapest Hotel. Tom Hulce went from Animal House to Stranger Than Fiction. Elizabeth Berridge followed The Funhouse with Hidalgo. The credits do not prove Amadeus caused these shifts. They simply mark where each path bent next.
Where it left its mark
The pink wig survived the film. It sits in the permanent collection at the Acadian Museum, a small relic of a costume that defined the character. Paul LeBlanc built that look and took home the 1985 Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling. The influence stretched beyond cinema, too. Ghost borrowed the movie’s theatre poster for the cover of their 2013 album Infestissumam. Then the story returned to television. Will Sharpe and Paul Bettany starred in a series adaptation filmed in 2024, which aired on Sky TV in December 2025. The wig stays in the museum.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Amadeus.
Sources
- Amadeus on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q190956 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Amadeus (film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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